MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 motor transportation maintenance completed the P-19 fire truck maintenance course here Sept. 16.
The P-19 course is an interservice training course with the Air Force. Normally, Marines deployed overseas are sent back to the U.S. to take the course, but on this rare occasion MWSS- 171 worked in conjunction with MWSS-172 from Okinawa, Japan, to have an instructor flown from the U.S. to teach the course here.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Walker, fire truck maintenance instructor, was sent from the U.S. to take the Marines through the 13 day evolution starting Sept. 3.
“The students are very receptive to the information they’ve been given. They have the right mindset for learning and overall positive attitudes,” said Walker.
The course consists of “show-and-tell” training, written examinations and hands-on practical application exercises with a P-19 fire truck.
“I’ve been wanting to go to P-19 school since May, so when I found out it was coming to Iwakuni, I thought it was pretty cool,” said Lance Cpl. Marcus Ojeda, Motor Transportation mechanic.
The course was an advanced fire truck maintenance course, where instead of reiterating the basic operations of a P-19, the instructor focused on the theories, operations and fundamentals of the truck.
“We go beyond teaching them what each wire does, and we go and teach them electrical, hydraulic and air fundamentals, so they can apply this training to all of their trucks,” said Walker.
The course is not only important in making the Motor Treansportation Marines more proficient in their jobs, it’s also important training for mechanics stationed overseas.
“Fire trucks are pinnacle to any base’s operation, especially on a flight line. A flight line will shut down if they don’t have enough fire trucks,” said Walker. “This training is important because motor transport Marines will take these trucks to the Philippines, Korea, etc., and have to keep them ready to respond.”
With the extended shipping time between the U.S. and overseas locations, it is important for the Marines to understand more in depth how to diagnose vehicle malfunctions without immediately resorting to ordering parts.
In the states, Motor Transportation Marines have to wait approximately two or three days for part shipments to arrive. In Iwakuni, the Marines typically have to wait anywhere from two to three weeks, which slows workflow.
“Training out here is much more important because once people are trained on a vehicle they are not as prone to throw parts on a system, and when you do that overseas it takes a lot of time,” said Walker.
Overall, most of the Marines described the class as hands-on and easily retainable.
“I actually learned a lot, to be honest, about the P-19 from air systems, water systems to the transmission and engine. It’s all, of course, part of being a mechanic,” said Ojeda.
The motor transportation Marines go through additional training typically once every three to four months. As for MWSS-171 and 172, there will be more training to come.